27.08.24: Level 2; Practice in reading the perfect tense; A First Latin Reader (Vincent) [14]

Again, notice the mixture of perfect and present tense, the latter used to make the narrative more vivid.

Inde Hannibal, postquam cōpiās trāns montēs Pȳrēnaeōs et fluvium Rhodanum dūxit, ad summās Alpēs vēnit. Sed montēs altī Poenōs impediēbant. Inde Hannibal mīlitēs convocat: ‘Ō mīlitēs,’ inquit, ‘moenia Ītaliae et Rōmae trānscendistis. Nunc via erit plāna; ūnā aut alterā pugnā arcem et caput Ītaliae in potestāte vestrā habēbitis.’ Via est difficilis, sed Poenī struem magnam arborum faciunt, arborēs incendunt, acētum īnfundunt. Tandem in Ītaliam perveniunt.

acētum, -ī [2/n]: vinegar

arx, arcis [3/f]: citadel

īnfundo, -ere, īnfūdī [3]: pour in

struēs, -is [3/f]: pile; heap

Sentence structure:

[i] Inde Hannibal, ¦ postquam cōpiās trāns montēs Pȳrēnaeōs et fluvium Rhodanum dūxit [subordinate clause of time], ¦ [i] ad summās Alpēs vēnit [principal clause].

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From there Hannibal, after he led his troops over the mountains of the Pyrenees and the river Rhone, came to the tops of the Alps. But the high mountains hindered the Carthaginians. Then Hannibal calls [called] the soldiers together: 'O soldiers,' he said, 'you have crossed over the walls of Italy and Rome. Now the road will be flat; in one battle or another you will have the citadel and the capital of Italy in your power.' The way is difficult, but the Carthaginians make [made] a great pile of trees, set fire to the trees, and pour [poured] in vinegar. At last they reach [reached] Italy.

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